Splendoivbeaiity, History and Art Prevail in South Carolina^Brookgreen Gardens
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Pieces of 150 sculptors cover the r gounds in exotic and natural set *VV tings. The seven most famous ar tists represented are Augustus !Saint Garidens, Daniel Chester French (both now deceased), Paul Manship, Malvinna H o f f m a n, Wheeler Williams, Sidney Waugh, and Anna Hyatt Huntington, wife of Archer M. Huntington. (Note: Mr. and Mrs. Huntington now live in Bether, Connecticut, and are | "T? „ ** both still very creative artists.) The Brookgreen collection con tains more than 300 pieces of stat uary and sculpture ranging in size from a coin to the giant "Fight ing Stallions" which guard the en trance, done in life size by Mrs. Huntington at the age of 73. Mrs. Huntington selects the statuary to be placed in the gardens and many a young American artist has sold V * his first piece to the collection. $ ^Jb&z& Most areas and pieces are describ **"»*rf»m;Rig : ed by inscriptions of poetry either £^ <&£#&. "w ***;*# j; written by Archer M. Huntington or selected from other poets by him. The value today of the sculp ture is well into the millions of dollars. NATIVE PLANTS Although Brookgreen is not not ed for its floral beauty its resi VIEW OF ©LIVE OAK WALK© ITS MOSS-HUNG TR EES ARE MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED YEARS OLD dent .horticulturist and manager, F. G. Tarbox Jr., has spent the twenty-two years since the Hunt- ingtons acquired tbe gardens mak SplendoivBeaiity, History And Art Prevail ing them a true garden of the 1 <UL4*+*4+1X*J dL-*^-tx^«*4L>0 _ <3LeX, • /A, A* S~3^ Southeastern United States. Every plant is one which is natural and native to this section of the coun try. The rare combination of beau In South Carolina^Brookgreen Gardens tiful sculpture in natural settings rookgreen was the next plan- ed Brookgreen from the Allstons owner. make Brookgreen a memorable ex By F. EARL CRAWFORD JR. tation north of the Oaks and was at about the same time Robert From 1920 to 1930 these lands, perience the year round. MYRTLE BEACH, S. C There owned by John Allston. Plantation and Francis Withers purchased which had changed hands only are many tourist attractions in Roundlng out the variety of the life was one of relaxed living and four times in the previous 200 plantation©s features are a well America, but none to compare in splendor. Large owners were con Springfield and other lands. We are ! years, changed hands six times. splendor, beauty, history and art equipped picnic ground and large sidered good friends to have and not sure what these lands were but ! Mrs. Julia Peterkin, who was zoo. Family outings are ideal at with Brookgreen Gardens. Locat visitors both powerful and promi may assume they were The Oaks ,©Dr. Moody©s daghter. wrote three ed just 15 miles south of the tour Brookgreen as the zoo contains hun nent frequented the homes. or Laurel Hill. Due to the value of novels which have settings at dreds of birds and animals which ist center of Myrtle Beach and on Lord Cornwaltts before the Rev rice lands (which all the land, tbe famed South Carolina Planta Bronksreen and which she wrote like the horticulture are native to olutionary War and George Wash were) the Withers are said to the southeastern states. tion Coast, Brookgreen is open to ington in 1791 both visited the. have leased their fields to the in Brookgreen. They were "Green everyone free of admission. plantations as guests. Washington 1 more experienced Colonel Ward Thursday" written in 1924, "Black This is Brookgreen Gardens, Its A walk under the moss hung wrote fondly of his visit in his. In 1847 Francis Withers died and April" in 1927 and "Scarlet Sister, past and present with a future as oaks and along the paths and trails diary. Francis Marion, "The Colonel Ward purchased the With Mary" in 1928. The latter was a a must for Mr. and Mrs. Vacation seems to turn back the centuries Swamp Fox," was a frequent vis ers holdings. Col. Ward died in Pulitzer Prize winner. ing American and family one of to the early South, itor to the plantations. 1852 leaving the lands tn his son To look at the Brookgreen of to the great places to visit on coastal South Carolina. In the y$ar of 1750, the South John Allston planted the famous Joshua John Ward. Brookgreen day, we must go back to 1930 and "Live Oak Walk" which is todayj Plantation was valued at one-half to the name of-Huntington. People was in its greatest glory. Grand could well remember C. P. Hun and fabulous plantations spread intact and the majestic moss-hung| million dollars this in 1852. over Virginia and the Carolina*. live oak trees are over 200 years | Then came the War between the tington, founder of Huntington, Wherever men met the name of old. These are believed to be the; States. West Virginia, the C & 0 Railroad, AJlston of South Carolina was oldest cultivated live oaks in North© Four years after the close of the Newport News Ship Yards and America. the war in 1869, L. C. Hasell, a many other ventures. They also known. The Allston Plantations knew his son, Archie M. Hunting- spread out nearly twenty in num Springfield, the next plantation, physician, leased Brookgreen from ber over the lower state. One of was owned by Washington Allston the Ware Estates and in 1870 ton, as a great patron of the arts. these was Brookgreen. The tour who sold it for his art education bought it for $10,000.00 this prop The story is that Mr. Archer ist attraction of today is actually and thus became one of America©s erty that was valued at one-half Huntington noticed the sale of sev four of these old plantations now first great artists. Called "The million only eighteen years be eral South Carolina plantations in in one tract and called "Brook- American Titian," Samuel Taylor fore. the New York Times and came green Gardens." The four planta Coleridge said nf him "A painter Mrs. HaselTs brother, s Mr. south to see them, and that he tions (from south to north) were born to renew the 16th century." Willett of New York, bought the employed Capt. Billy Skinner of the Oaks, Brookgreen, Springfield Laurel Hill is a little vague in rice land of Springfield and built Georgetown, S. C., to show them and Laurel Hill, Its part of the picture. It cannot a house on Brookgreen. to him. After looking at all of the OWNED BY ALLSTON be traced to the original Allston For half a century the Hasell- lower plantations, he is said to The Oaks was owned by Joseph Plantations, but can be traced to Willett control continued, but in have decided upon the one with Allston, one time governor of South a Glowden G. Weston who apparent-; 1920 Dr. J. A. Moody of Sumter, the beautiful old oaks the same Carolina and known to romanticists ly was the owner. This old planta South Carolina, purchased the old oaks put on Brookgreen by the world over, for Joseph Allston tion is built as a wheel with the lands for a recreation lodge and John Allston in 1750. was the husband of Theodosia Burr house as the hub and roads as rest area for a number of his COLLECTION OF ART a lost love who sailed away from spokes. (This plan was apparent friends and associates. Dr. Moody Today the gardens exhibit the South Carolina on December 31, ly before the design of Washing is credited with first collecting most famous collection of statu 1812 never to be seen or heard ton. D. C.) all of the lands which now make ary and sculpture done entirely by Lua Ward pnrch up Brookgreen Gardens under one r lists in t*ie.